Montgomery Mall, Wheaton Plaza to be sold in 2022

International mall operator Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield (URW) plans to sell most of the malls it owns in the United States in 2022, the company announced last week. The news immediately puts the future of Montgomery Mall and Wheaton Plaza into serious question; URW owns both malls.

The news might have been a complete shock had it come prior to Westfield's acquisition by Unibail-Rodamco in 2018. After all, Westfield sunk well over $90 million into additions and renovations of Montgomery Mall alone this past decade. If Westfield was still the sole principal owner, this would not be happening.

Clearly, URW is not committed to bricks-and-mortar and indoor malls, and is seeking a Sears-Kmart-style payday via selling off the real estate. Here in Montgomery County, that real estate is worth a fortune.

However, despite a Wheaton sector plan filled with developer giveaways, there has been little to no demand in the private sector for mixed-use development in the same area of Wheaton where Wheaton Plaza is located. Since the new plan was passed by the Montgomery County Council roughly a decade ago, only two smaller, private sector apartment developments with no retail or dining have been constructed. A Montgomery County government project, a taxpayer-subsidized government office building at the Wheaton Metro station, is the only other significant project to be realized in the last decade.

It will be interesting to see who the potential buyers of Wheaton Plaza will be, and what they plan to do with the property. Montgomery Mall's site has greater demand. But there is serious question as to the quality of the redevelopment of both sites. 

Will they become two more cookie-cutter multifamily housing developments like recent housing projects at Rockledge and Tower Oaks, or vibrant communities with high-profile retail and restaurant tenants like Pike & Rose and Virginia's Mosaic District? Will the new owners take the cautious approach Westfield had planned by building on parking lots around the malls first, or a high-risk dice roll like the one that backfired on Lerner, when it pulled the plug on its popular White Flint Mall only to wind up with an empty field and no income?

Montgomery County Council bucks state advice to lift covid restrictions on business

While most of Maryland reopened for business without restrictions yesterday, the Montgomery County Council resisted Gov. Larry Hogan's call to end restrictions on business. The Council met as the Board of Health Friday, after debating its authority to rebuff Hogan's statewide lifting of limits on retail and restaurants all week. Councilmembers ultimately chose not to lift capacity limits on indoor dining and shopping, which will remain at 25% capacity (although some large retailers have been able to get a waiver for the 25% cap for months), and only rise to 50% on March 26. The updated guidelines unanimously approved by the Council include the following:

As of yesterday at 5:00 PM:

• removing local restrictions on capacity at child care facilities, which follow state requirements
• increasing outdoor gatherings to a maximum of 50 people
• increasing indoor gatherings to a maximum of 25 people
• eliminating the limit of one person per 200 square feet
• eliminating alcohol limits on food-service facilities; alcohol can be sold after 10 pm
• eliminating the restriction on buffet service for food-service facilities
• increasing the capacity for religious facilities to 50%

The following changes will go into effect on March 26:

• increasing the maximum capacity to 50% for indoor dining, retail shops, fitness centers and other businesses
• permitting arts and entertainment facilities to open at 25% capacity, provided they do not sell or permit food for consumption in the facility

The guidelines for entertainment venues as written do not immediately appear to apply to movie theaters, which serve food. Only "theaters" that don't serve concessions may reopen at 25% as of March 26. Given that concessions are key to profits for cineplexes, it seems unlikely they would forgo sales of food just to reopen.

County Executive Marc Elrich cited the low percentage of Montgomery County residents who have received a coronavirus vaccination as a primary reason to not lift covid restrictions to the degree the state did Friday. "County leaders will continue focusing on what works, listening to our public health experts and acting based on the needs of our community because public health is the key to a sustained and robust recovery for all," Elrich said in a statement yesterday after the Council vote.

Boardroom Salon sets opening date in Rockville

Boardroom Salon for Men has set a new opening date for its first Maryland location at 12031 Rockville Pike in the Montrose Crossing shopping center. The salon is now scheduled to open March 31, 2021. As you can see, the salon interior does emit an upscale den-steakhouse-lodge ambiance. 

Various member tiers are available, including limited Founders memberships at a special price, with a silver Founders tumbler while supplies last. You can sign up for memberships, and schedule appointments, on the Boardroom website.

As an example of the level of service you will receive at Boardroom Salon, the their signature The Benchmark appointment includes the following:

• Personal consultation

• Tailored haircut with precision neck shave
• Personalized shampoo + conditioning
• Scalp massage
• Pressure-point facial massage
• Steamed towel
• Paraffin hand dip
• Stress-relieving hand massage
• Expert styling and tips to replicate the finished look every day

 

Boardroom Salon is the latest tenant in the new, Rockville Pike-facing retail structure at the Federal Realty-owned property. “We are thrilled to partner with Boardroom Salon for Men on their expansion into Maryland and know the salon will be well-positioned for long-term success at Montrose Crossing,” Federal Realty VP of Asset Management Mickey Papillon said in a statement Thursday.

 

Rockville planning commission postpones decision on Fallsgrove office-to-residential conversion

The Rockville Planning Commission last night postponed a decision on a developer's request to allow a parcel at Fallsgrove designated for future office space to be developed as housing instead. Originally on the agenda for last night's meeting, the decision has now been postponed "until further notice." 

The proposed plan amendment had the support of city planning staff. But such conversions remain controversial, when master plans for places like Fallsgrove, King Farm and Clarksburg were sold to the public as mixed-use communities that would offer housing, retail and job centers.

Plaza Oaxaca "opening soon" at Rockville Town Square

Plaza Oaxaca is "opening soon" at Rockville Town Square, signage at 141 Gibbs Street now declares. Owners Cecilia Pastor and Maria Barragán promise authentic Mexican cuisine, focused on their home state of Oaxaca. One of the signature dishes will be their Oaxacan Mole, and the pre-Spanish spirit mezcal will be the featured drink from the bar. Oaxaca produces the most mezcal of any state in Mexico.

The restaurant has some of the most-detailed coming soon signage seen. It includes large black-and-white portraits of iconic Mexican legends.

Armed robbery at Rockville restaurant

An armed robbery at a Rockville restaurant drew a response from Montgomery County police last night. At least one person was assaulted in the incident, which took place at a restaurant in the 5200 block of Nicholson Lane in the White Flint area around 7:17 PM, according to crime data.

Assault in Rockville parking lot

Montgomery County police responded to a report of an aggravated assault in Rockville early yesterday morning. The assault was reported in the 5100 block of Crossfield Court around 2:23 AM, according to crime data.